Portuguese National Workshop on Multi-Agency Cooperation

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Published: 11/08/2025

On July 9th, 2025, the Portuguese partners of the VicTory Project, IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, Faculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto, and ILGA Portugal, hosted a national workshop in Lisbon, aimed at strengthening multi-agency cooperation to improve support for victims of hate crimes and extremism.

This national event brought together over 20 professionals from across the criminal justice system, victim support services and academia. This workshop served as a collaborative space to reflect on practical challenges and share innovative approaches to victim support, with a special focus on restorative practices.

The discussion underscored several key issues in the Portuguese context, emphasising the lack of robust coordination frameworks. Concerns were also raised about the suitability of restorative justice in hate crimes cases, as the gravity and sensitivity of such incidents often make implementation challenging. A recurring theme was the urgent need for specialised training to equip professionals with trauma-informed and cultural skills when working with victims.
Importantly, the focus was shifted from intervention to prevention, as participants stressed how civic education and awareness-raising efforts are crucial to addressing hate and extremism at their roots.

The workshop also explored the growing challenges in digital spaces, focusing on the spread of “grey” hateful content, the creation of echo chambers, and the disproportionate impact this content can have.

This workshop was part of a series of five events being organised within the VicTory Project. Each of them aims to strengthen multi-agency collaboration, promote restorative justice where appropriate, and improve institutional responses to hate and extremism across Europe.